Valve ball mountings for toilet flush tanks



Feb. 19, 1957 R. MIC-EK VALVE BALL MOUNTINGS FOR TOILET FLUSH TANKS Filed May 17,

INVENTOR.

VALVE BALL MOUNTIN GS FOR TOILET FLUSH TANKS Richard Micek, Walsenburg, Colo.

Application May 17, 1954, Serial No. 430,062

8 Claims. (Cl. 4-57) This invention relates to an improved valve ball mounting for toilet flush tanks.

As will be understood, conventional fiush tanks usually employ a valve ball which is mounted upon the lower end of a vertically movable rod slidable through a guide fixed to the overflow pipe of the tank. The fit between the guide and rod is customarily quite loose, with the result that as the level of the water in the tank sinlcs and the ball nears its seat, the rush of water past the ball into the outlet of the tank in some instances shifts the ball sidewise, so that the ball does not seat properly, thus to cause leakage of water from the tank, while in other instances, the rush of water cants the ball so that the ball :at some point binds against the seat therefor to permit the leakage of water past the ball.

The present invention therefore has, as one of its objects, to provide a mounting for the ball wherein the ball will be guided to always seat true and unfailingly provide a seal between the ball and its seat, so that leakage and waste of water will be prevented.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mounting wherein the ball will be held against lateral movement relative to the seat therefor as well as canting movement with respect to said seat, so that the ball will always contact the seat throughout its inner circumference.

And the invention seeks, as a still further object, to provide a mounting wherein the ball may be initially adjusted radially of the overflow pipe of a tank, wherein the hinge for the ball may be adjusted vertically of said pipe as well as in an arc relative to the pipe, so that the ball may seat true, wherein the mounting for the ball may be readily employed in connection with conventional flush tanks without the necessity for structural change therein, and wherein the mounting for the ball may be readily installed.

Other and incidental objects will appear as the description of the invention proceeds, and in the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing my improved valve ball mounting installed in a conventional flush tank, the tank being partly broken away and shown in section.

Figure 2 is a side elevation showing the mounting in conjunction with the ball seat and overflow pipe of the tank, the dotted line position of the ball showing the ball raised.

Figure 3 is a horizontal section more particularly showing how the ball is held against lateral movement as well as cantih'g movement.

Figure 4 is a perspective view, the parts being separated but being shown in proper relative position.

Figure 5 is a detail horizontal section particularly showing the clamp of the hinge bracket employed and bringing out how the clamp may be applied to overflow pipes of different diameters, different sized overflow pipes being shown in dotted lines.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, I have shown my improved valve ball mounting in conjunction with a conventional flush tank having the usual overflow pipe 11 communicating with an outlet 12 at the upper end of which is the customary valve ball seat 13. The usual valve ball trip lever is indicated at 14, and, as is customary, this lever is provided with a handle 15 by means of which the lever 14 may be manually rocked for lifting the valve ball of the tank from the seat 13 so that water may discharge through the outlet 12, as will be readily understood.

In carrying the invention into effect, I employ a hinge bracket 16 having an arcuate body plate 17, and formed from the upper margin of said plate is a pair of oppositely disposed, rearwardly bent hinge lugs 18 provided with aligned apertures 19 therein. Struck from the plate between the lugs 13 is a pair of oppositely disposed, rearwardly bent stop lugs 20 disposed opposite the apertures 19 in spaced relation to the lugs 18. The plate 17 may be formed of any suitable resilient sheet metal.

At one lower corner thereof, the plate 17 is formed with a lateral car 21, while at its opposite lower corner the plate is provided with a similar car 22 in which is formed an L-shaped slot 23 providing a corner lug 24 at the upper inner angle between the vertical and horizontal portions of said slot.

In conjunction with the body plate 17 of the hinge bracket 16, I provide a flexible, resilient, sheet metal strap 25 provided at one end with an car 26 to mate with the car 21 of the body plate, and formed on said strap at its opposite end is a reduced tongue 27 at the upper edge of which is provided a number of spaced notches 28.

It is now to be noted that the tongue 27 is freely receivable through the vertical portion of the slot 23 of the ear 2?. of the body plate 17, when the tongue may be shifted laterally into the horizontal portion of said slot to engage the corner lug 24 in a chosen one of the notches 28 of the tongue. Thus, as will be perceived, an adjustable connection is accordingly provided between one end of the strap and the body plate, and adjustably as well as detachably connecting the ear 21 of the body plate with the ear 26 of the strap is a suitable screw 29. Provision is thus made, as will be understood, whereby the hinge bracket 16 may be attached, as brought out. in Figure 5 of the drawings, to overflow pipes of different diameters.

if so desired, the middle portion of the body plate 17 from top to bottom, may be struck on a transverse radius to seat, say for an arc of ninety degrees more or less, flat against an overflow pipe one inch in diameter, as suggested in Figure 3 of the drawings, and at each side of the middle area, say for twenty degrees more or less at each side, be struck on a radius to seat flat against an overflow pipe an inch and one-eighth in diameter, while the vertical margins of the body plate may be struck on a radius to fi t an overflow pipe an inchand one-quarter in diameter. Thus, flat contact at one or more areas between the body plate and any one of the three overflow pipes mentioned will be had.

Mounted to swing upon the hinge bracket 16 is a dc tachable yoke 30. This yoke is preferably formed of suitable resilicnt wire looped medially to provide an elongated beak having more or less closely spaced sides 31 defining a slot therebetween, and diverging from the inner ends of the sides of said beak are offsets 32. Extending in parallel relation from the inner ends of the offsets 32 are legs 33, and bent to extend toward each other in aligned relation at the inner ends of said legs are trunnions 34. As will be noted, all of the elements of the yoke lie in the same plane so that the yoke as a whole is flat.

A conventional rubber valve ball is indicated at 35. This ball is of a size to properly fit the seat 13 and is provided with the usual metal screw socket 36 flat at its upper end.

In practice, the body plate 17 is first positioned against the overflow pipe 11, when the strap 25 is arranged in.

ing the overflow pipe for firmly securing the hinge 1 bracket 16 thereon.

The valve ball 35 is next rested in the seat 13, when the flush tank is filled with water up to the major diameter of the'bal'l. Accordingly, the level of the surface of the water in the tank may then be used as a gage to level the valve ball in the seat.

The yoke is next arranged to straddle the overflow pipe 11, when the legs 33 of said yoke are spread and the trunnions 34 engaged through the apertures 19 of the hinge lugs 18 of the hinge bracket, the construction being such that the ends of said trunnions will, as best seen in Figure 3 of the drawings, normally be resiliently held by the offsets 32 of the yoke to abut the lugs 20.

The flush tank 10 is next further filled with water to the level of the flat upper end of the screw socket 36 of the valve ball 35, when the surface of the water may then be used as a gage to level the yoke 30 so that the sides 31 of the beak of the yoke may lie flat against the upper end of the socket. To accomplish this end, the hinge bracket 16 is adjusted either up or down, as required, on the pipe 11. Next, the hinge bracket is 'adjustably rotated on the oevrflow pipe until the sides 31 of said beak straddle the threaded aperture of the screw socket, the yoke then being not only level but also extending in proper position over the valve ball. The screw 29 of the hinge bracket 16 is then finally tightened to firmly secure the bracket and yoke in adjusted position.

To connect the valve ball with the trip level 14 of the flush tank, I provide a bead chain 37, although, however, any other suitable element may be employed. In the present instance, I have shown the chain as provided at its upper end with a suitable book which is removably engaged through one of the usual openings in the lever 14, and swiveled upon the lower end of said chain is a clip 38. A washer 39 is preferably employed to overlie the sides 31 of the beak of the yoke 30, and extending through said clip and washer is a screw detachably connecting the valve ball with the yoke and firmly binding said ball against the sides of said beak. Thus, the adjusted level position of the ball will not be disturbed during the final step of installation.

As will now be seen, the handle 15 of the trip lever 14 of the flush tank may be manually manipulated for raising the valve ball 35 and permitting the water in said tank to discharge through the outlet 12 in the usual manner, and in this connection it is to be noted that, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 2 of the drawings, the oifsets 32 of the yoke 30 are disposed to engage the overflow pipe 11 for limiting the yoke in its upward movement. Coin- =cident with the discharge of water from the tank, the valve ball will, as the level of the water in the tank rsinks, be guided by the yoke to again rest in the-seat l3 and close the outlet 12 at its upper end.

As best seen in Figure 3 of the drawings, the stop lugs 29 of the hinge bracket 16 will coactwith the'ends of the trunnions 34 to prevent lateral shifting of the yoke, so that the swinging travel of the yoke and accordingly 'of the valve ball 35 cannot vary from a fixed path. Further, as will be seen, the yoke cannot rock sidewise on the hinge bracket 16. Still further,'the'sides"31"of the beak of the yoke will firmly hold the valve ball 35 against individual rocking or canting movement. Accordingly, the valve ball will, as the levl of the water in the flush tanksinks, be always precisely guided to again rest true in the seat 13 and so unfailingly provide a non-leaking seal between the ball and said seat.

Among other'features, conventional flush tanks vary somewhat in that the distance between the vertical axis of the overflow pipe and the vertical axis of the valve ball seat is not always the same. The beak of the yoke 30 is accordingly made relatively long, so that the valve ball may be adjusted along the sides 31 of said beak and thus centered with respect to the seat therefor.

While I have shown and described a single embodiment of my invention, still it is to be understood that various changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

' l. A valve ball mounting for a toilet flush tank having an overflow pipe and outlet provided with a valve ball seat, and a valve ball coacting with said seat, a hinge bracket mounted on said'pipdhinge means carried by the bracket, a resilient 'yoke straddling said pipe to extend at its forward end portion over said ball and having free rear ends held by the resiliency of the yoke in pivotal engagement with said hinge means, stop means on said bracket coacting with the rear ends of said yoke and disposed to space the rear end portions of the yoke away from said hinge means and limit the yoke against lateral play to swing in a straight path lying in a plane with the center of said seat, and means connecting the ball with the forward end portion of said yoke.

2. A valve ball mounting for a toilet flush tank having an overflow pipe and outlet provided with a valve ball seat, and a valve ball coacting with said seat, a hinge bracket mounted on said pipe, a resilient yoke straddling said pipe to extend at its forward end portion over said ball and having free rear ends provided with trunnions pivotally engaged with said bracket and adapted to be spread for disconnecting the yoke from the bracket, said trunnions having terminal end faces, stop means on the bracket coasting with the. end faces of said trunnions and disposed to limit the yoke against lateral play to swing in a straight path lying in a plane with the center of said seat, and means connecting the ball with the forward end portion of said yoke.

3. A valve ball mountin'gfor a toilet flush tank having an overflow pipe and outlet provided with a valve ball seat, and'a valve ball coacting with said seat, a hinge bracket mounted on said pipe, a yoke straddling said pipe to extend at its forward end portion over said ball and having free rear ends provided with trunnions pivotally engaged with 'said bracket, lugs carried by the bracket andabutting the ends of said trunnions for limiting the yoke against sidewise movement on the bracket to swing in a straight path lying in a plane with the center of said seat, and means connecting the ball with the forward end portion of the yoke. V I

' 4. A valve ball mounting for a toilet flush tank having an overflow pipe and outlet provided with a valve ball seat, and a valve ball coacting with said seat, a hinge bracket mounted on said pipe, a yoke provided at its forward end portion with a beak having closely spaced sides defining an unobstructed area therebetween extending over said ball and formed at their rear ends with diverging offsets provided with rearwardly extending legs straddlingsaid pipe and having trunnions pivotallyengaged with said bracket, and means extending between the sides of said beak and connecting the ball with said yoke, said offsets being disposed to engage said pipe when the yoke is swungupwardly and limit the ball to a shortened upward throw determined by the arc of said offsets. "5. A'valve ball mounting for a toilet flush tank having an overflow pipe and outlet provided with a valve ball seat, anda valve ball coacting with said seat, a hinge bracket fixed to said pipe and including abody plate having spaced hinge lugs thereon .and provided between said lugs with stop lugs facing said hinge lugs, a yoke extending at its forward end portion'over said ball and provided with legs straddling said pipe and having trunnions thereon pivotally engaged through said hinge lugs to abut said stop lugs for-limiting the yoke against sidewise movement on the bracket to swing in a straight path lying in a plane with the'center'of said seat, and means connecting the ball with the forward end portion of said yoke.

6. As a new article of manufacture, a valve ball mounting for toilet flush tanks including a bracket having spaced hinge lugs thereon and provided with a clamp for connecting said bracket with an overflow pipe, a yoke adapted to carry a valve ball and provided with spaced resilient side portions having trunnions thereon pivotally engaged with said hinge lugs, the side portions of the yoke being adapted to be spread for freeing said trunnions from said lugs, and stop lugs carried by said bracket to abut the ends of said trunnions for limiting the yoke against sidewise movement on the bracket to swing in a straight path.

7. A valve ball mounting for a toilet flush tank having an overflow pipe and an outlet provided with a valve ball seat, and a valve ball coacting with said seat, a hinge bracket mounted on said pipe, a yoke composed of a length of resilient material formed medially with a loop having straight sides defining a slot therebetween and provided at their rear ends with rearwardly diverging offsets terminating in spaced rearwardly extending legs straddling said pipe and having trunnions extending in alignment at the rear ends of said legs and pivotally engaged with said bracket supporting the yoke to extend at the loop thereof over said ball, and means extending through said slot fixing the ball to said loop and adjustable longitudinally of said slot for centering the ball with respect to said seat, the offsets of the yoke being disposed to engage said pipe when the yoke is swung upwardly and limit the ball to a shortened upward throw determined by the arc of said offsets.

8. A valve ball mounting for a toilet flush tank having an overflow pipe and an outlet provided with a valve ball seat, and a valve ball coacting with said seat, a hinge bracket including a body plate having lateral ears thereon, one of said ears being provided with an L-shaped slot having a vertical portion extending transversely of said ear and a horizontal portion extending lengthwise of said ear and cooperating with the vertical portion of said slot to define a corner lug in the angle between said portions of the slot, a strap cooperating with the body plate to provide a clamp embracing said pipe, said strap being formed at one end with a tongue having an uninterrupted lower edge and provided at its upper edge with a notch, said tongue being of a major width substantially equal to the length of the vertical portion of said slot and being, without tilting the strap and while the width of the strap faces the width of said body plate, slidably receivable through the vertical portion of said slot to dispose said notch opposite said lug as well as laterally shiftable in the horizontal portion of said slot to engage said lug in said notch and connect the strap at one end thereof with said ear, means connecting the strap at its opposite end to the other of said ears and binding the bracket on said pipe, spaced rearwardly projecting hinge lugs carried by the body plate, a yoke extending at its forward end portion over said ball and provided with spaced legs straddling said pipe and having trunnions thereon pivotally engaged through said hinge lugs, means connecting the ball with the forward end portion of said yoke, and means carried by the body plate to coact with said trunnions and limit the yoke against lateral play to swing in a straight path lying in a plane with the center of said seat.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,201,416 Ziemer Oct. 17, 1916 1,575,963 Bispham Mar. 9, 1926 2,067,759 Gavin Jan. 12, 1937 2,142,393 Halteman Jan. 3, 1939 2,230,613 Deady Feb. 4, 1941 2,602,933 Curry July 15, 1952 2,610,816 Vote Sept. 16, 1952 2,680,248 Stewart June 8, 1954 

